System-provided window elements having adjustable dimensions

ABSTRACT

An operating system provides a number of window elements that the operating system itself or applications may use in displaying a window. The operating system includes a dialog box for enabling a user to adjust the individual sizes of the respective window elements independently of the size of the window. The bitmaps for the window elements are stored in a cache that is re-drawn each time the user changes the size of any of the window elements.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/354,918, filed Dec. 13, 1994, now abandoned, which was a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/054,567, filed Apr. 28, 1993.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to data processing systems and, more particularly, to user interfaces for data processing systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The WINDOWS, Version 3.1, Operating System, sold by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash., provides resources to application programs for generating windows on a visual display. In particular, the operating system provides bitmaps for the window elements. As a result, every window that is generated by the application programs has a similar appearance. In order to understand what kind of bitmaps the operating system stores for window elements, it is helpful to first review what kind of elements are typically included in a window.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a typical window 10 generated by an application program. The window 10 includes a system menu box 12, which may be opened by a user to display a list of system commands available to the user. The window 10 also includes a caption or title bar 14 that displays a title or a caption for the application program that is executing. A menu bar 16 is included in the window 10 to display application commands that the user may perform in the current application. A minimize button 18 and a maximize button 20 are also provided in the window 10 to allow a user to minimize or maximize the size of the window. When maximized, the window 10 occupies most of the video display screen. When minimized, the window 10 appears as an icon. The window 10 also includes a sizing border 22 which may be dragged using a pointing device, such as a mouse, to adjust the size of the window 10. The window 10 additionally includes a client area 24 in which the application program may display output.

The window 10, likewise, includes scroll bars 26 for scrolling through the contents of a document that is displayed in the client area 24. A vertical scroll bar and a horizontal scroll bar are included in the window 10 of FIG. 1. Each of the scroll bars 26 includes a scroll box or a thumb 29 that travels the length of the scroll bar to indicate the current position of the displayed document that is shown in the client area 24 relative to the entire contents of the document being displayed. Scroll bar arrows 28 are provided at each end of the scroll bars 26. A user may click a mouse on the arrows at the respective ends to scroll the contents displayed on the screen in the direction of the arrow.

The operating system provides bitmaps for the system menu button 12, the minimize button 18, the maximize button 20, scroll bar arrows 28, and any check boxes, radio buttons, menu arrows or menu check marks that are included in the window. When the window 10 is resized, such as through dragging of sizing border 22 as described above, the window elements provided by the operating system do not change in size (except that in certain instances, the height of the vertical scroll bar 26 and the length of the horizontal scroll bar may change). Since these window elements provided by the operating system do not change when the window 10 is resized, the bitmaps for the window elements do not need to be updated after the window is resized.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the steps that are performed by the operating system to allow application programs to use the bitmaps for the system-provided elements of a window. The bitmaps are initially stored in a display driver for the video display. The display driver is typically part of the operating system and must comply with standards that permit its use in the operating system. During initialization of the operating system, the display driver is loaded into memory (step 30). The bitmaps held in the display driver are then transferred using the BitBlt( ) function into a cache (step 32). Subsequently, when an application program wishes to draw a window on the video display, the application program retrieves the bitmaps from the cache and uses the bitmaps to draw the system-provided window elements (step 34).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a method is practiced in a data processing system that has an output device, such as a video display or printer, a memory means holding a copy of an operating system that includes a bitmap of a window element and a processor running the operating system. In this method, the bitmap of the window element is re-drawn to have a new size in response to a request by a user. The re-drawn bitmap is stored as part of the operating system in the memory means. The re-drawn bitmap is then used to output the window element on the output device as part of a window. The window element may be any of a number of different system-provided window elements, including a system menu, a minimize box, a maximize box, or a scroll bar arrow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a conventional window.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating how a conventional system obtains bitmaps for system-provided window elements.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a data processing system suitable for practicing a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the steps that are performed by the preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide adjustable size window elements.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a dialog box for adjusting the sizes of system-provided window elements in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating how new bitmaps for window elements are drawn in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of the present invention allows a user to customize the size of window elements provided by an operating system ("system-provided window elements"). The window elements may be used by the operating system as well as application programs that are run on the operating system. The size of the system-provided window elements may be adjusted independently of the window size.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of data processing system 36 suitable for practicing the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The data processing system includes a central processing unit (CPU) 38, a memory 40, a keyboard 42, a mouse 44 and a video display 46. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention need not be practiced in a single processor system but rather may also be practiced in a multiple processor system, such as a distributed system. Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the data processing system may include alternative input/output devices that differ from those shown in FIG. 3.

The memory 40 holds a number of items, including a copy of an operating system 48. The operating system 48 in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is an embellished version of the Microsoft WINDOWS, Version 3.1, Operating System that supports such resizing of system-provided window elements. Nevertheless, those skilled in the art will recognize that other operating systems may be used in the present invention. The operating system 48 includes at least one display driver 50 and a bitmap cache 52 for storing the bitmaps of the system-provided window elements. The operating system 48 also includes a number of fonts 53 for use by the operating system and application programs.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an overview of the steps performed by the preferred embodiment of the present invention to facilitate resizing of system-provided window elements. The display driver or drivers for output devices, such as the video display 46 or the printer 47 (FIG. 1) are loaded into the memory 40 (Step 54 in FIG. 4). The bitmaps are then transferred using the BitBlt() function (such as described in the Background of the Invention) from the display drivers to the bitmap cache 52 (step 56).

The preferred embodiment of the present invention allows the user to change at least one dimension of each system-provided window element (step 58 in FIG. 4) by using a dialog box 64, like that shown in FIG. 5. The dialog box 64 includes a section 66 that concerns metrics schemes, a section 68 that concerns a preview of window elements, a section 70 concerning system-provided window elements and a section 72 concerning fonts.

Before discussing the dialog box 64 in more detail, it is helpful to review what "system metrics" are in the operating system 48. The system metrics, among other things, hold information about the size of system-provided window elements. The system metrics include the following that relate to window elements:

    ______________________________________     SM.sub.-- CXSCREEN                      Screen width in pixels     SM.sub.-- CYSCREEN                      Screen height in pixels     SM.sub.-- CXVSCROLL                      Vertical scroll arrow width     SM.sub.-- CYHSCROLL                      Horizontal scroll arrow height     SM.sub.-- CYCAPTION                      Caption bar height     SM.sub.-- CXBORDER                      Window border width     SM.sub.-- CYBORDER                      Window border height     SM.sub.-- CXDLGFRAME                      Dialog window frame width     SM.sub.-- CYDLGFRAME                      Dialog window frame height     SM.sub.-- CYVTHUMB                      Vertical scroll thumb height     SM.sub.-- CXHTHUMB                      Horizontal scroll thumb width     SM.sub.-- CXICON Icon width     SM.sub.-- CYICON Icon height     SM.sub.-- CXCURSOR                      Cursor width     SM.sub.-- CYCURSOR                      Cursor height     SM.sub.-- CYMENU Menu bar height     SM.sub.-- CXFULLSCREEN                      Full screen client area width     SM.sub.-- CYFULLSCREEN                      Full screen client area height     SM.sub.-- CYKANJIWINDOW                      Kanji window height     SM.sub.-- CYVSCROLL                      Vertical scroll arrow height     SM.sub.-- CXHSCROLL                      Horizontal scroll arrow width     SM.sub.-- CXMIN  Minimum window width     SM.sub.-- CYMIN  Minimum window height     SM.sub.-- CXSIZE Minimize/Maximize icon width     SM.sub.-- CYSIZE Minimize/Maximize icon height     SM.sub.-- CXFRAME                      Window frame width     SM.sub.-- CYFRAME                      Window frame height     SM.sub.-- CXICONSPACING                      Horizontal icon spacing     SM.sub.-- CYICONSPACING                      Vertical icon spacing     ______________________________________

Section 66 of the dialog box 64 allows a user to select a scheme from a list of pre-defined schemes that each specify a single unique set of values for the system metrics that relate to window elements. The user saves, deletes or selects a particular system metrics scheme using section 66 of the dialog box 64. As shown in FIG. 5, section 66 includes a drop down list box 74 that lists the system metrics schemes that are currently saved by the operating system 48. The drop down list box 74 is shown in the closed state in FIG. 5 and in the closed state, shows only the currently selected system metrics scheme. Examples of window elements that are generated in accordance with the currently selected system metrics scheme are displayed in section 68. In the example of FIG. 5, the currently selected system metrics scheme is the "Easy Reading" system metrics scheme, in which all of the system-provided window elements have large system metrics values, is displayed in large letters.

The operating system 48 provides a number of predefined system metrics schemes, but the user also has the option of saving additional system metrics scheme by pressing the "Save Scheme" button 76. The user may initially begin with one of the previously saved system metrics schemes and then utilize section 70 of the dialog box 64 to further customize the size of particular system-provided window elements. The resulting system metrics values may be saved in a new scheme. Moreover, the user may remove a scheme from the list by pressing the "Remove Scheme" button 78.

Section 70 of the dialog box 64 (which concerns the system-provided window elements) includes a drop down list box 80 that holds a list of the system metrics for the system-provided window elements. The current size of the selected system metric is displayed in the "Element Size" box 82. In the example of FIG. 5, the "menu height" system metric is the currently selected system metric and the current menu height is "25". The user may click the mouse 44 on the upward arrow 84 to increase the element size and click the mouse on the downward arrow 86 to decrease the element size. In addition, the user may put the caret on the value and directly edit the value.

Referring once again to the flowchart of FIG. 4, the user requests a change in the dimension of the system-provided window element in step 58 by using the dialog box 64, as described above (FIG. 5). Subsequently, after the user has finalized the changes and exited the dialog box 64, the bitmaps stored in the bitmap cache 52 (FIG. 3) are re-drawn in response to the user request (step 60). In particular, every time that a user changes one of the system metrics for the system-provided window elements, the entire bitmap cache is re-drawn. The revised bitmap cache 52 may then be subsequently used to draw the system-provided window elements. The value selected for each of the system metrics persists until a new value is selected by the user.

The operating system 48 provides a separate routine for each system-provided window element to generate a new bitmap for the window element in step 60 of FIG. 4. Each time that the system metrics are changed, these routines are called to re-draw the bitmaps for the system-provided window elements. The routines operate quickly enough so that no substantial overhead is incurred in re-drawing the bitmaps that are stored in the bitmap cache 52. Although each of the routines has particularities that are unique to the nature of the system-provided window element which the routine draws, the basic approach of each of the routines is the same.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the steps performed by these routines to draw the new bitmap of its corresponding window element. Initially, a rectangle is drawn to have the dimensions that are specified by fixed dimension values and a system metric value for the window element (step 88). For instance, the vertical scroll arrow width (e.g., SM₋₋ CXVSCROLL) is specified by a system metric and the vertical scroll arrow height is also specified by a system metric (i.e., SM₋₋ CYVTHUMB, because the thumb and scroll bar arrow have the same height). These values of the dimensions are used to compute a rectangle of the proper size for a vertical scroll arrow. The system then checks whether the visual element to be drawn is a push button (step 90). Push buttons are given special treatment because they may assume heights other than the zero level logical surface of the video display (i.e., they may not appear flat). Specifically, a push button may be raised or may be sunken below the zero level logical surface. Thus, if the visual element is a push button, the push button must be drawn in the appropriate state inside and including the rectangle (step 92). The push button may be drawn using conventional techniques. When the push button has been drawn or if the visual element is not a push button, a corresponding glyph for the window element is drawn. The glyph is the visible part of a character or other graphical entity that is shown in a bitmap. For example, the arrow portion of the vertical scroll bar arrow 28 visual element (FIG. 1) constitutes a corresponding glyph. The glyph is drawn to have size that is in a specified proportion relative to the dimensions of the rectangle (step 94). The proportional size of a glyph to the rectangle is empirically defined and is chosen for each element to ensure its best appearance.

Once the bitmap for the system-provided visual element has been completely generated, the resulting bitmap is stored in the bitmap cache 52 (FIG. 3) along with the other bitmaps (step 96 in FIG. 6). Thus, the revised bitmap may be used in all future calls by the system or application programs to draw the corresponding system-provided window element on the video display 46 or printer 47.

The operating system 48 provides a number of functions in the form of application programming interfaces (APIs) that relate to the window elements that have adjustable dimensions. A first of these functions if the SetMenuItemInfo() function. This function allows an \ program to manipulate a MENUITEMINFO structure, which is defined as follows:

    ______________________________________     typedef struct tagMENUITEMINFO {     DWORD     dwMask;  // members to get or set     DWORD     fType;  // menu item type     DWORD     fState;  // menu item state     UINT      wID;  // menu item identifier     HMENU     hSubMenu;  // handle to popup menu     HBITMAP   hbmpChecked;  // handle to bitmap checked     HBITMAP   hbmpUnchecked;  // handle to bitmap unchecked     LPSTR     dwTypeData;  // content of the menu item     WORD      cdh;  // char count of menu content     DWORD     dwITemData;  // application-defined item data     }   MENUITEMINFO, FAR *LPMENUITEMINFO;     ______________________________________

The MENUITEMINFO structure maintains information about items in the menu. Of particular interest to the preferred embodiment of the present invention are the hbmpChecked and hbmpunchecked fields that hold handles (i.e., unique numerical identifiers) for bitmaps. The hbmpChecked field holds the handle to a bitmap to represent the checked state, whereas the hbmpunchecked holds a handle for a bitmap in the unchecked state. When a user later changes the size of the menu by changing the font size, the application may easily provide a handle to a different bitmap that is scaled properly to the new font size of the menu. Thus, this structure helps to greatly simplify the scalability of menus.

Another relevant function provided by the operating system 48 is the GetMenuItemInfo() function. This function may be viewed as the converse of the SetMenuItemlnfo() function in that it interrogates information from the MENUITEMINFO structure.

The CheckMenuRadioItem() function provides a vehicle for checking or unchecking a menu item with the bitmaps specified in the MENUITEMINFO structure.

The DrawFrameControl() function allows an application to draw one of a number of system supplied icons (like the icons 12, 18, 20, and 28 in FIG. 1) in the applications space. This function allows an application to use a system to provide individual elements without having to draw these elements at a proper size.

Two functions are provided by the operating system 48 that concerns scroll bars. The SetScrollinfo() function allows an application to manipulate scroll bar size and thumb position. The GetScrollBarInfo() function allows an application to retrieve information regarding the scroll bar size and thumb position.

The SystemParametersInfo() function is provided by the operating system 48 to enable an application to query or set system wide parameters. The system wide parameter to query or set is specified by a parameter that is passed to the function call. Amongst the possible values for this parameter is the SPI₋₋ SETNONCLIENTMETRICS value and the SPI₋₋ GETNONCLIENTMETRICS parameter. These parameter values are specified to either set or retrieve the various sizes of system visual elements that are defined within the operating system 48, as discussed above.

When the present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the present invention as defined in the appended claims. 

I claim:
 1. In a computer system having a display and a processor running an operating system (OS) and an application program, a method for manipulating a window functionality element comprising:(a) outputting a window to the display, said window including:(i) a window frame including a window functionality element, the window frame defining a boundary around a client area; and (ii) a client area having a size defined by the boundary, the client area being independent of the window free, the client area displaying information associated with the application program; (iii) the window functionality element providing functionality to the window functionality element being provided by the OS and having a first image, corresponding to a first displayed size, associated therewith, the first image provided in the OS as a preset image to be displayed for every instance of the window functionality element; (b) providing a customizing program for manipulating the displayed size of the window functionality element independently of the size of the client area; (c) invoking the customizing program to change the displayed size of the window functionality element independently of the size of the client area by:(i) loading the associated first image from the OS; and (ii) creating, in the OS, a second image associated with the window functionality element, the associated second image corresponding to a second displayed size, the second image replacing the first item in the OS as the preset image to be displayed for every instance of the window functionality element; and (d) replacing the window on the display by outputting a new window to the display, said new window including the second image associated with the window functionality element.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the window functionality element comprises one of a scroll bar, a menu item, a minimize button, and a maximize button.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein:(1) the OS includes a data structure for holding data relating to the window, said data structure including a pointer for pointing to an image in the OS associated with the window functionality element to be output to the display; and (2) the outputting of the new window to the display using the second image associated with the window functionality element further includes changing the pointer from a pointer for pointing to the first image to a pointer for pointing to the second image.
 4. In a computer system having a display and a processor running an operating system (OS) and an application program, a method for manipulating a window functionality element comprising;(a) outputting a plurality of windows to the display, each window including:(i) a window frame including a plurality of window functionality elements, the window frame defining a boundary around a client area; and (ii) a client area having a size defined by the boundary, the client area being independent of the window frame, the client area displaying information associated with the application program; (iii) the plurality of window functionality elements providing functionality to the window, each window functionality element being provided by the OS and having a first image, corresponding to a first displayed size, associated therewith, the first image provided in the OS as a preset image to be displayed for every instance of the window functionality element; (b) providing a customizing program for manipulating the displayed size of each window functionality element independently of the size of the client area; (c) invoking the customizing program to change the displayed sizes of selected window functionality elements independently of the size of the client area by:(i) loading the first images associated wits the selected window functionality elements from the OS; and (ii) creating, in the OS, a second image for each of the selected window functionality elements, each second image corresponding to second displayed sizes, the second image replacing the first image in the OS as the preset image to be displayed for every instance of the window functionality element; and (d) replacing the plurality of windows on the display by outputting a plurality of new windows to the display, said new plurality of windows including the second image created for each of the selected window functionality elements.
 5. In a computer system having a system memory, a display, and a processor running an operating system (OS) and an application program wherein the OS includes a display driver and a bitmap cache, a method for manipulating a window functionality element comprising:(a) outputting a window to the display, wherein the window comprises:(i) window frame including a plurality of window functionality elements, the window frame defining a boundary around a client area; and (ii) a client area having a size defined by the boundary, the client area being independent of the window frame, the client area displaying information associated with the application program; (iii) the window functionality element providing functionality to the window, the window functionality element being provided by the OS and having an original bitmap stored in the display driver corresponding to a first displayed size associated therewith, the original bitmap provided in the OS as a preset image to be displayed for every instance of the window functionality element; (b) providing as part of the OS, an application program interface (API) for manipulating a displayed size of the window functionality element independently of the size of the client area; (c) issuing a function call to the API to change the displayed size of the window functionality element independently of the size of the client area by:(i) loading the associated original bitmap from the device driver into the bitmap cache; and (ii) rendering into the bitmap cache a redrawn bitmap, corresponding to a second displayed size, associated with the window functionality element, the redrawn bitmap replacing the original bitmap in the OS as the preset image to be displayed for every instance of the window functionality element; and (d) replacing the window on the display by outputting a new window to the display, said second window including the redrawn bitmap associated with the window functionality element.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein:(1) the OS further includes a data structure for holding data relating to the window, said data structure including a pointer for pointing to a bitmap in the bitmap cache associated with the window functionality element to be output to the display; and (2) the outputting of the new window to the display using the second image associated with the window functionality element further includes changing the pointer from a pointer for pointing to the first image to a pointer for pointing to the second image.
 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the outputting of the new window to the display using the redrawn bitmap associated with the window functionality element further includes redrawing the bitmap cache prior to outputting the window to the display.
 8. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing, by a computer system having a display and a processor running an operating system (OS) and an application program, the steps of:(a) outputting a window to the display, said window including:(i) a window frame including a plurality of window functionality elements, the window frame defining a boundary around a client area; and (ii) a client area having a size defined by the boundary, the client area being independent of the window frame, the client area displaying information associated with the application program; (iii) the window functionality element providing functionality to the window, the window functionality element being provided by the OS and having a first image, corresponding to a first displayed size, associated therewith, the first image provided in the OS as a preset image to be displayed for every instance of the window functionality element; (b) providing a customizing program for manipulating a displayed size of the window functionality element independently of the size of the client area; (c) invoking the customizing program to change the displayed size of the selected window functionality element independently of the size of the client area by:(i) loading the associated first image from the OS; and (ii) creating, in the OS, a second image associated with the window functionality element, the associated second image corresponding to a second displayed size, the second image replacing the first image in the OS as the preset image to be dissolved for every instance of the window functionality element, and (d) replacing the window on the display by outputting a new window to the display, said second window including the second image associated wig the window functionality element.
 9. A method of transferring a computer program product from one or more first computers to a second computer connected to the one or more first computers through a communications medium, comprising:(a) accessing, on the one or more first computers computer-executable instructions for performing, by a computer system having a display and a processor running an operating system (OS) and an application program, the steps of:(i) outputting a window to the display, said window including:a) a window frame including a plurality of window functionality elements, the window frame defining a boundary around a client area, and b) a client area having a size defined by the boundary, the client area being independent of the window frame, the client area displaying information associated with the application program; c) the window functionality element providing functionality to the window, the window functionality element being provided by the OS, and having a first image, corresponding to a first displayed size, associated therewith the first image provided in the OS as a preset image to be displayed for every instance of the window functionality element; (ii) providing a customizing program for manipulating a displayed size of the window functionality element independently of the size of the client area; (iii) invoking the customizing program to change the displayed size of the at least one selected window functionality element independently of the size of the client area by:a) loading the associated first image from the OS; and b) creating, in the OS, a second image associated with the window functionality element, the associated second image corresponding to a second displayed size, the second image replacing the first image in the OS as the preset image to be displayed for every instance of the window functionality element; and (iv) replacing the window on the display by outputting a new window to the display, said new window including the second image associated with the window functionality element; and (b) transmitting the computer-executable instructions to the second computer.
 10. A computer system comprising:(a) a display; (b) a processor; and (c) a memory holding:(i) an application program; (ii) an operating system (OS) including a window for the application program the window comprising:a) a window frame including a window functionality element, the window frame defining a boundary around a client area; and b) a client area having a size defined by the boundary, the client area being independent of the window fame, the client area displaying information associated with the application program; c) the window functionality element providing functionality to the window, the window functionality element being prodded by the OS and having a first image, corresponding to a first displayed size, associated therewith, the first image provided in the OS as a preset image to be displayed for every instance of the window functionality element; and (iii) a customizing program for manipulating the displayed size of the window functionality element independently of the size of the client area by:a) loading the associated first image from the OS; b) creating, in the OS, a second image associated with the window functionality element, the associated second image corresponding to a second displayed size, the second image replacing the first image in the OS as the preset image to be displayed for every instance of the window functionality element; and c) replacing the window on the display by outputting a new window to the display, said new window including the second image associated with the window functionality element.
 11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the window functionality element comprises one of a scroll bar, a menu item, a minimize button and a maximize button.
 12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein:(1) the OS further includes a data structure for holding data relating to the window, said data structure including a pointer for pointing to an image in the OS associated with the, window functionality element to be output to the display; and (2) outputting a new window to the display using the second image associated with the window functionality element comprises changing the pointer from a pointer for pointing to the first image to a pointer for pointing to the second image. 